What a Great Hawaiian Buffet

This is a good looking group, huh? On Friday evening our fellowship area was turned into a Hawaiian Buffet. The ladies worked real hard to decorate (some decorations were borrowed from Grants Pass), people brought "Hawaiian" food, and we all provided the entertainment. Well, some did -- it was doing the limbo and the hula! Even if it was cold and rainy some of us wore our Hawaiian garb and the whole evening was a lot of fun. There were 25 in attendance, including our friends, Mike and JoAnn, from Grants Pass.

And speaking of them, it was loads of fun to have Mike and JoAnn visit for the weekend. We did a bunch of tourist things and talked a lot. Just fun to get together. Sunday afternoon, we all left for Grants Pass together. Mike drove our car, JoAnn drove the van, and I drove the pickup. The purpose of all of this was to get the pickup to Grants Pass and leave it there until we need it to move our stuff back. When we got to the freeway we departed company and Joyce and I went to Salem. Remember Will and Anna, my nephew and wife who live in Anchorage? Well, they were down for a wedding so we met them at his nephew's house in Salem. There were a bunch of relatives there, we talked fast, and got to visit for a little bit.

Our drive home --Grants Pass home -- was fraught with rain, sleet, and snow. After we got home we found out they closed the freeway at Sexton summit about an hour after we passed. When we went over it was a perfect evening! I guess it deteriorated real quick. It snowed here last night and again this afternoon but it is too warm to stick. It's nice to believe that spring is coming!

Sunday was a fun/serious day. I think worship should always be fun. But it also contains serious things. Sunday we introduced a new focus on missions and the missionaries our Conference supports. We also began an emphasis on "40 Days of Prayer and Fasting." This is the traditional Lenten period and I suggested we give God a portion of ourselves such as food for a period of time, or a food item, or something else that represents a sacrifice. Then we ask God to give us something -- maybe a special blessing, a closer relationship with Him, or what might commonly be called a miracle. I think this holds promise of being a very important 40 days in the life of our church.

Hey! Did you see us on TV? You had to look quick but you could see Joyce and I in the audience on Wheel of Fortune tonight. There were a couple "pans" across us and also some from behind. Watch Tuesday and Wednesday because they taped 3 shows while we were there. The Jeopardy shows will be on later in March. I'll let you know.

Friday we head back home -- Agate Beach home. I'm looking forward to Sunday. I think it will be a good day.